Love Is Patient

by Isabella Bearden

  Chloe

  After Riley sent Mason home to change, and once Jay had changed, we went out to celebrate some big news that Jay and I got today. Also I’m hoping Riley will realize she should be with Mason now. We all went to a small 5 star restaurant, after the host sat us, Riley’s eye were bugging out of her head waiting on our news.

  “So, are you going to tell us?” Riley asks.

  “Okay, Calm down.” Chloe looks at Jay. “Jay is opening is own shop.”

  “Really!?” Riley asks shocked.

  “Yes, that is what we had to do this morning; he had to go sign all the paper work.”

  “Congratulations!” Mason and Riley say in unison.

  “Thank you.” Jay says.

  I know I shouldn’t put this out here, but I’m tired of seeing Riley mope around the house like a sick puppy.

  “So, have you two talked?” I eye Riley; I could tell before she answered me that they haven’t spoken yet.

  “Chloe, we haven’t even talked about us. So can we talk about this some other time please?” Riley was begging me to leave the subject alone. I know something is going to happen between them.

  “So, with Jay opening his own shop, are you going to finish school?” Riley asks.

  “Yes, I am going to finish school.” I say, looking at Riley like she is crazy.

  “Good.”

  We all ate and talk amongst ourselves. Riley is smiling a smile I haven’t seen for some time now. I know Mason is the reason it is there. All this time I tried to tell him to be patient with her. This is what she needed the whole time. To have someone that will be patient to be with her.

  ***

  After dinner, we all went back to the apartment. We all wanted to continue celebrating Jay’s success. Mason asked to see his new shop while we were all eating. Jay had told them it will be sometime, he has to fix it up. Little does Mason know that Jay just bought out the shop he was already working at?

  “Baby, are you going to tell them where the shop is at least?” I ask Jay. I couldn’t tell them where it was at but I could tell by the look at Jay’s face that he wants to tell them were the shop is.

  “Yeah, I’ll give them that much.” He looks at Mason and Riley. “I bought the shop I was already at. My boss is moving to be closer to his parents and he was going to sell it anyways. So I bought it so I could keep my job along with everyone else.”

  “That’s great!” Riley says.

  “I’m happy for you guys.” Mason speaks up.

  Riley keeps eyeing Mason all night. I know when we walked in earlier we interpreted something.

  “Riley, are you okay?” I ask her.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Just asking, you look a little off.”

  “No I’m fine. Just tired.”

  “Okay. What else do you two have planned for tonight?” I took a sip of my drunk and look at Riley.

  “Nothing, I think I’m going to bed. I have class tomorrow.”

  After I got attacked I dropped my early morning class, to lighten my load since I was having so many headaches. I told the consular that I would pick English up next semester. I knew that would put me behind.

  “Oh okay. Mason are you staying or leaving?” I ask.

  Mason stood up and stretched. “Actually, I better get going. I also have class tomorrow.”

  “Okay, Good night Mason.” Jay and I say.

  “Riley, I guess I will see you tomorrow?” He was trying to make statement but instead it came out a question, giving her the choice to see him.

  “Yeah, I would like that.” She smiles at Mason.

  “Well, good night everyone.” He says as he walks out of the door.

  “Good night you guys and congratulations Jay.” Riley says walking to her bedroom for the night.

  We said good night to Riley. I sit down on the couch next to Jay and put my head on his shoulder.

  “Do you think they will ever work things out?” I ask Jay.

  “Hopefully.”

  Hopefully. That was the main word for Riley right now. Hopefully they will work things out. Hopefully they will be happy together. Hopefully she will stop being so stubborn and tell Mason how she feels. Hopefully, such a small word, but can mean so much to someone.

  “They belong together.” I whisper.

  Jay leans over and kisses me on my head. “We know that, but they have to notice it to.”

  “I know.” I got up from the couch and grab Jays hand. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

  Chapter 27

  Riley

  When Mason left last night, I came to bed to stay away from Chloe. I could tell at dinner she was ready to drill me with questions, and when Mason left, that was the perfect time. I looked out the window all night looking at the moon trying to find answers. Answers to what I should do about Mason. He said he would wait for me. I did tell him I wouldn’t make him wait a long time. He texted me last night when he got home to see if he could take me to lunch after class. I agreed knowing we need to talk.

  I turn to look at the clock and see I have one hour to get ready and get to class. I take a quick shower, and throw on some blue jeans and a blue tank top. I blow dry my hair real quick and throw on some make up. I’m hoping to get out the door without dealing Chloe and across campus without running into Mason. I figure we can put everything out on the table at lunch, and I could talk to Chloe after.

  I grab my books and head toward the door, I hear someone in the kitchen. I bet its Chloe, so I hurry though towards the door.

  “You don’t have class for another 30 minutes.” Yep, it’s Chloe.

  “Hi Chloe. Yeah I know but I need to get to the library before I go to class to print off something.”

  Yes, that’s a lie. A horrible lie, but I really don’t want to go through questions right now.

  “Stop lying Riley. Sit and have a cup of Coffee.”

  Chloe turns to pour me a cup and then hands it to me. I take a sip of it.

  “So are you going to tell me what Mason was doing here yesterday? I mean I don’t mind him being here. Just a little surprise that’s all.”

  I choke on my coffee a little bit.

  “I ran into him at the store, and we wanted to hang out for a little bit, that’s all.”

  Chloe looks at me with her eye brow up, looking at me like I’m hiding something.

  “Okay, so I wanted to talk him about what happened the other night at the bar. I miss him Chlo. I just hope he means what he said that night.” I look down at my coffee.

  “What did he say the other night?” Chloe ask looking at me.

  “He said he would wait for me, he also knows what you meant when you told him to be patient with me.”

  “Well at least, he now knows what I mean.”

  “Yeah, but I really have to get to class. So I will see you after.” I say walking toward the door.

  Just my luck, trying to get away, got me in to a conversation I didn’t want to have at the moment. At least I didn’t tell her that I’m having lunch with Mason. That would turn into something more than I could barging for.

  ***

  I got away from Chloe in just enough time to get across campus, but only to find out that class is cancelled for today. I’m debating to go to the library and get some studying down, or text

  Mason to see if he wants to catch an early lunch instead. I choose to do both, as I walk toward the library I pull out my phone and text Mason.

  R: Hey, Class got cancelled for me, going to the library.

  M: Class is cancelled for me also. It looks like all English departments are cancelled for today.

  R: What do you want to do?

  M: Meet me at my truck?

  R: Ok, see you in a few.

  I didn’t want to see him right now, but I guess we better get then never. I walk to Mason’s truck as I pass Chase.

  “Hey Riley.” Chase stops and looks at me.

  I didn’t respond to him. I didn’t want to give him
the time of day.

  “I know you don’t want to talk to me ever again and I don’t blame you for that. But please know that I am sorry for what happened. I should have never let Melissa do that to you.” He says.

  “Chase, I don’t want to hear it. It’s done with. Melissa has apologized and so have you. Now if you will excuse me, I need to be somewhere. Good bye Chase.” I say proudly.

  I walk pass Chase to get to Mason’s truck. I’m ready to move past everything that has happened. I’m ready to let go of my past and what happened with Chase. I need to start my life.

  I get to Mason’s truck, where he was waiting for me. We didn’t say anything to each other; he opened the door for me. Mason got in and we drove to a little Mexican place. With students in class it wasn’t that busy, we got in a got a booth right away.

  Mason and I both ordered our drinks and food. When the waitress walked away, I reached across the table to tap Masons hand to get his attention. He looked up at me with the big brown eye that captured me before. I smile at him.

  “So, are we going to talk?” I ask him.

  “Sure, what do you want to talk about?” He smiles at me.

  “How about what happened the other night?”

  “You don’t have to explain yourself any more than what you have.” He took a long pause, “You know, my dad left me like your mom left you. He said he never wanted to be a dad. Now he has 2 more children.” He says quietly like he is hurting.

  I never thought that his dad did the same thing that my mom did, Mason seems so happy. But then if you looked at me, you would have never known that I never had a mom. My dad raised me proudly without having my mom around and I would never have changed that.

  “Why are you telling me this now?” I have to ask. He could have told me that night when I told him everything at the bar.

  “Because you were already hurting, you laid everything out on the table in front of me then left me. I didn’t want you to feel sorry for me. I just want to be there for you, then and now.” He says.

  “You can’t protect me Mason.”

  “I can, and I will. I could have made you feel bad that night when you told me about your dad and then your mom. I could have told you that I went through the same thing, what gives you the right to run out on me when I went through the same emotions. My dad up and left me the day after I came home from the hospital. He didn’t even TRY to raise me. He found a way out. But my mom wasn’t going to give up. She took on his responsibility also.”

  Seeing Mason upset talking about his dad brought on a new prospective for me. He is right, he could have said those things to me that night, but I was also being selfish. I didn’t take in mind how Mason would feel about me leaving him. But we were not even together a long time. Just a couple of weeks top.

  “Mason, I’m so...” He cut me off. “What? Sorry? You’re sorry? I don’t want you to be sorry.” He leans back in the booth.

  “Mason, I really didn’t think about you when I told you I couldn’t be with you. I was just trying to cover myself. It hurt what Chase did to me, to let Melissa do that to me. After that I couldn’t hurt you.”

  “You would have never hurt me, Riley. I was and still am going to stick by you whenever you need me. Either if you just want me as a friend or a boyfriend. I will always be here for you.”

  My eyes start to tear up, and I try to hold back from crying.

  “How can you say these things to me after I just left you?”

  He chuckles. “Riley, I have been fighting for your attention this whole time. Don’t you see that I want to be with you, whatever you are going through? I WANT to be with you. I told you that I will wait for you and that is what I am going to do.”

  Seeing Mason so determined to show me that he is waiting for me, and that he wants to be with me, it’s something that I have never had in my life. The only people that I had in my life to show that they care about me were my dad and Chloe. Even though I still have Chloe in my life, I still wonder what it would be like to have my dad here.

  Chapter 28

  Mason

  Telling Riley with what happened with my dad was not to make her feel bad. I wanted to show her that I know what it feels like to be raised by one parent and then loose them. My mom was also my everything. She was the only family I had, when my mom became pregnant with me, her family disowned her. Telling her it was a mistake to keep me and to get married at such a young age.

  So when my mom got killed, I sold the house and took the money and came to college. I didn’t get a scholarship, but I wanted to make something of myself. Not everyone knows that about my mom and what I had to do to get here. I don’t think it’s important that anyone knows.

  Riley and I sat at table, looking at each other. We haven’t said a word to each other since I told her, I meant what I said when I said I will wait for her. I was and still am being serious.

  “What are we doing here Riley?” I look at her.

  “What do you mean?” She looks confused.

  “What are we doing here? Are we here just to talk about what happened that night?”

  Riley starts picking at her food, I set my fork down.

  “Mason, I don’t know where to start. First, I want to apologize for everything that night, from walking out of the apartment to breaking up with you. Second, I miss you.”

  “You don’t have to apologize for what you did. I miss you also. But I don’t know what to do at this point.”

  Do not get me wrong, I want to be with Riley. I would do anything to be with her. And I will wait for her. But when I say I don’t know what to do at this point, I’m saying I don’t want her to jump back into a relationship with me when I already told her I would wait for her. I want her to make sure this is what she wants to do.

  “Riley, make sure this is what you want do. I don’t want you to jump into a relationship with me when you’re not ready to.”

  “I know I asked you to give me time, but I think I got all the time that I need.”

  “So what are you saying?” I know what she was getting at, but I want her to say it.

  “I want to be with you, Mason.”

  “As in?” I smirk at her.

  “I want to be your girlfriend.” She blushes.

  I took in a breath and pretend to think about it. “Oh I don’t know. How do I know you won’t get scared again and run?” I smirk at her again.

  “Hahaha, very funny.”

  I reached across the table and lace my fingers in with hers. “Riley, will you be my girlfriend?”

  “God, this feels like high school.”

  “Yeah it does.”

  “Yes I will be your girlfriend.” I stood up, as she did. I embraced her into a hug and kissed her.

  I was not letting her go again. I will make sure she is always happy.

  ***

  After lunch, Riley and I got in my truck so we could go to Chloe and Jay, to let them in on the good news. I know they will be happy for us. As I turn the truck over the radio was playing “God Gave me You”. I turn to Riley, and she was singing along with it. Yeah this song is screaming RILEY right now. I hope she feels the same.

  We pulled up at the apartments and went up to Riley’s door. We both walked in, Riley yelled for Chloe and Jay. They both walk of the room, and Chloe stops dead in her tracks.

  A smile crossed her face along with Jay. “I knew you two would work things out!” She jumps up and down then runs over to Riley giving her a hug.

  “Calm down, would you? It’s not like we are getting married, we just worked our problems out. Well my problems.” Riley says looking back at me, smiling.

  I could look at her smile and greens eyes every day, the rest of my life.

  We all sat down to get ready to watch a movie, since Jay was off work tonight and Chloe was so pleased to see Riley actually not walking around like a zombie. We all deserve some time together. After all I plan to see more of them since I’m back with Riley.

  Jay and Chloe
sat on side of the couch cuddled up with each other while Riley puts a movie in, and then comes to sit next to me. I pull her over to kiss her on her head, and she got comfortable next to me.

  “Thank you.” She says quietly.

  “For what?” I whisper in her ear.

  “For being Patient.”

  “Haven’t you ever heard that love is patient?” I say to her, she turns around to look at me.

  “Are you saying what I think your saying?” She asks.

  ‘SHH’ is what we both hear from Jay and Chloe as they try to watch the movie.

  I lean down closer to her. “If you think I’m saying that I love you, then you’re right.”

  Riley smiles at me, I lean down to kiss her but she already bet me to when she pushes herself up to kiss me.

  She pulls away. “Good, cause I love you too.” She says smiling at me with the beautiful green eyes.

  Epilogue

  Chloe

  3 years later…...

  After Jay got his own shop and a lot of savings, we finally got our own home. Riley also moved with us, because I was not about to let my best friend go. We also agreed to let Mason move in with us so he could get out of the dorm since he was close to graduating, plus Riley and Mason are planning on getting married.

  As Riley and I are going over wedding plans, she kept looking at me like she wants to tell me something. I finally got tired of her looking at me like a sick puppy. I put down my pen and look at Riley.

  “Okay spit it out.” I tell her.

  Riley looks at me and takes a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”

  My mouth drops open, speechless.

  “I know this is a bomb shell on you, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. We wanted to make sure.” She rambles on.

  “Riley, calm down. How far along are you?”

  “9 weeks.” She tells me shyly.

  “I can’t be mad at you, CONGRAUTLATIONS!” I tell her as I get up to hug her.

  Riley stands up as well. As we are hugging, Mason and Jay walk in.

  “I see someone has finally broken the news.” Mason says behind me, you can tell that he has a smile on his face.